Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Cassafire

by Alex J. Cavanaugh (Goodreads Author)

4.48 of 5 stars 4.48 · rating details · 71 ratings · 28 reviews

From the Amazon best-selling author - CassaStar was just the beginning The Vindicarn War is a distant memory and Byron 's days of piloting Cosbolt fighters are over. He has kept the promise he made to his fallen mentor and friend - to probe space on an exploration vessel. Shuttle work is dull, but it 's a free and solitary existence. The senior officer is content with his...more

Paperback, 240 pages

Published February 28th 2012 by Dancing Lemur Press

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Best Space Opera

4th out of 146 books — 350 voters

Best YA Covers for 2012

421st out of 658 books — 1,370 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 236)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Mar 07, 2012 Sia McKye rated it 4 of 5 stars

If you love stories like Star Trek and Battlestar Galatica, you're going to enjoy CassaFire!

CassaFire is the second book of the adventures Cassan's pilot Byron, the first book is CassaStar. I haven't read the first(but I intend to now) and this one can be read as a stand alone.

CassaFire, for me, was reminiscent of the best things I loved about Star Trek. Exploration of new worlds and cultures and the adventures that the characters went on to solve the mystery they were faced with.

In Cassafire,...more

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 21, 2011 edifanob rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-books, 2011-reads

Before you ask why I own a copy of a book which will be published next year let me tell you that I received a review copy.

Finally I gave five stars. My full review will be up in calendar week 51.
hen I will explain my rating in detail.

For me CassaFirE is definitely the cherry I expected. Great characters who are far beyond to be over the top. A main character who develop in depth. The great idea with mirroring themes. the well dosed mixed of action and dialogue. Science which does not overstrain...more

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 30, 2012 Jeremy Bates rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've been meaning to get to this book for a while, but I haven't had much time to read lately. I zipped through it in a couple sittings! I don't often read science fiction, but a lot of people I know have been recommending this book, and I'm glad I gave it a go.

It's actually the second in a series, the first being CassaStar. This one picks up twenty years later. There's a lot of suspense, action, and some romance. Also of note, there is well-paced humor here and there which I always enjoy in a n...more

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 21, 2012 Laura Bambrey rated it 5 of 5 stars

This eagerly awaited read certainly lived up to its promise. Byron is still the character that I fell in love with during CassaStar, just a little bit older, just as stubborn and not much the wiser. But all that changes for him during CassaFire. Alex J. Cavanaugh has surrounded his hero with a new set of characters so well drawn, I already felt like I knew them - characters who challenge Byron and knock off more of his spiky corners, generally causing him headaches, heartbreaks and... well.. goo...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 03, 2013 Carolyn Brown rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: si-fi

Cassa Fire, the second book in the series by Alex Cavanaugh, sees the main character Byron, involved in an exploration of ancient artifacts, found on a planet, whose inhabitants are not yet capable of space flight.

The Cassans are surprised to find some of the inhabitants possess the stronger mental abilities than they first thought and begin testing to find what they may be capable of.

Even though Byron still holds onto a lot of emotional baggage in Cassa Fire, he seems ready to move on with his...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 05, 2012 Bryan Schmidt rated it 4 of 5 stars

An enjoyable read with well drawn leads that takes a while to suck you in but ultimately rises above its faults to provide a compelling and enjoyable read. I have not read book 1 in this series. So let me say some of my quibbles with it may well not be shared by those who have.

The action was well written and Cavanaugh uses some invented SFnal ideas here, including mental powers for two races, one limited to men, the other expanded by the entry of women. The developing relationship between the hu...more An enjoyable read with well drawn leads that takes a while to suck you in but ultimately rises above its faults to provide a compelling and enjoyable read. I have not read book 1 in this series. So let me say some of my quibbles with it may well not be shared by those who have.

The action was well written and Cavanaugh uses some invented SFnal ideas here, including mental powers for two races, one limited to men, the other expanded by the entry of women. The developing relationship between the humans and Tgren as a result of this development makes for interesting drama and asks interesting questions. It also provides good fodder for further storylines.

His worldbuilding is very solid. The starships are well thought out and created well. You can definitely feel an 80s SF influence, Battlestar Galactice and Buck Rogers in particular, although I suppose Star Wars and Star Trek could be found in it as well.

The prose itself is solid. Cavanaugh is quite good at weaving description and dialogue and keeping things moving well. He handles multiple POV characters well and does a good job transitioning between scenes and chapters.

Action scenes are well written and handled and have appropriate pacing and tension, avoiding the silly dialogue which sometimes ensues.

Now for the quibbles:

First, the story didn't hook me until Chapter 4. In part, I felt there wasn't much going on at the beginning. The real action didn't take place until later on. There were a number of passages with routine day to day character routines which I could have done without that slowed down the pace as well. The worldbuilding is solid but I wish the writer had found a way to get us into it with a bit more excitement. The result is a dragging pace until chapter 4 when it picks up more and more as it moves toward the middle and end.

Second, other than Byron and his love interest, I didn't find the other characters very well drawn. They didn't seem to have arcs of their own. Perhaps they were from book 1 and developed more fully there, but I think he could have added a bit more development in them to make it more interesting. The uncle of the love interest, however, does change a bit in his attitude, which was a nicely handled touch. I just would have liked to have seen more with other supporting characters for a richer, fuller canvass.

Third, because the story doesn't have as much action as I expected from the cover (my fault not his but the cover did set expectations somewhat), I'd compare this more to a storyline from Star Trek:TNG or a thoughtful TOS episode than I would to something more action packed like Star Wars or Buck Rogers or even BSG in storyline/plot. I would have liked a bit more action. This last note, admittedly, is personal preference and not the writer's fault. There's just rich potential in the ships, characters and world for some really good action. Perhaps book 1 provides more of that. I do intend to read it.

Ultimately, I am giving this four stars because I think despite any flaws it's well worth your time. Don't let the pacing keep you from digging in. The SF ideas, cultures, and world are well developed and interesting. I would look forward to more stories. I do hope next round he'll give us more action. And I hope he'll develop some of the other characters as well. Regardless, if you like old fashioned space opera, this is a family friendly fun read. Recommended.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 18, 2012 Arian rated it 5 of 5 stars

great book full of adventure and mystery and humor and a hint of underlying romance. i cant wait to finish reading the book its very exciting. an accomplished author.

1 like · like · see review

Apr 09, 2012 Clarissa Draper rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy

This is the second book in the series and just as good or even better than the first. I really like that the book had a female in it, something that was missing from the first book. Also, there were a lot of other characters that added dimension to the cast.

I really love sci-fi series such as Stargate, Battlestar, Startrek for the technical aspects but also the characterization. This book has a great deal of characterization--especially the two main characters.

If you're looking for non-stop ac...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 12, 2013 Kurt Bennett rated it 5 of 5 stars

It hard to say what makes a book a good read and what makes it a great read. For me Cassafire contained the right elements to make it a truly great read. Alex Cavanaugh has woven a very tasty piece of science fiction here and my only regrets are that the book ended. From beginning to end I was captivated by the characters and the universe they exist in. The struggles and challenges, the personal interaction between the characters, and day to day activities were so well written that I really conn...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 21, 2013 Andrew Leon rated it 3 of 5 stars

I've decided that I just don't tend to like stories with huge leaps ahead in time. Like in The Dark Knight Rises. Of course, I realize that I was nearly alone in my lesser opinion of that movie, so maybe this is not a thing that bothers other people. However, it does bother me, and I had a difficult time reconciling myself to the fact that 'Fire was supposed to be nearly 20 years after 'Star. The character didn't seem any different. It was like he just stepped ahead 20 years into his future and...more I've decided that I just don't tend to like stories with huge leaps ahead in time. Like in The Dark Knight Rises. Of course, I realize that I was nearly alone in my lesser opinion of that movie, so maybe this is not a thing that bothers other people. However, it does bother me, and I had a difficult time reconciling myself to the fact that 'Fire was supposed to be nearly 20 years after 'Star. The character didn't seem any different. It was like he just stepped ahead 20 years into his future and was still wrestling with the same issues. At no point did I feel like I was reading about the cares and concerns of a 40-year-old man. He still felt like the same 20-year-old from the first book. If the story had been set, say, two years later, I don't think I would have had many of the issues that I did.

To make that issue worse, Byron seems to have not advanced in his career at all in the 20 year interim. We know that he planned to quit being a fighter pilot at the end of the first book, but, here, 20 years later, he's just flying a shuttle, and I had a hard time buying into that even if it was by choice. Again, I could see that after two years, but 20 years later was really stretching my suspension of disbelief.

There are some other issues with details about the world setting that niggled at me a lot, too, but I can't really go into most of those without the risk of giving things away, but I will say this one thing: Where are the rest of the Tgren people? They entire race seems to be totally existent within the one city of Ktren. A whole planet, but all of them live in this one city? Maybe, that's not how it is, but that is how it's presented, and it just... bothered me. In some respects, it reminded me of episodes of Star Trek or Stargate because of that, and that works in a 40 minute TV episode, but I kept waiting for some mention of the rest of the people and, other than the Bshen (who seem to be another race entirely), it never came.

In the end, I think I was looking for another 20,000 words or so to fill out the story some. I do realize that the focus of the story is Byron and his relationships, especially with the new woman in his life, and that was well done, but it felt too much as if it was being acted out upon a cardboard stage rather than a real 3-D environment.

That said, I may feel differently about this book once the next one comes out as it seems it is going to build on what was done in CassaFire. If, in retrospect, 'Fire serves as a good building block for what happens in 'Storm, I could end up with more positive feelings about it despite the sparseness of the background.

Oh, and I wouldn't be me if I didn't mention the editing. The editing in 'Fire wasn't quite as good as the editing in 'Star, and there were some repetitive errors that bugged me, which distracted me from the story. Some missing words here and there, repeated lines of text a couple of times, and misspellings. Mostly things that other people won't notice, since other people seem to have not noticed them, but there were enough this time around that it's worth noting. That said, in comparison to a lot of other things I've read, even novels published through big, traditional publishers (>cough< Snow Crash), it was pretty clean. [I mean, in Snow Crash, it was like he sneezed commas, and they just left them on the page wherever they landed.]

So, in the final analysis, I really like CassaStar. It's a good read, kind of a buddy space opera kind of book. It deals with the bonds of friendship and how important they can be. CassaFire is okay. If you really like 'Star, it's worth giving it a look, at least. It's a romance, and the romance is pretty well handled. There are themes of friendship, also, but, really, it's about the girl. Looking forward, CassaStorm has an intriguing plot and, just from the summary, a lot of world details that haven't been revealed before. I'm intrigued, so I will certainly go on to the next one. It's possible that 'Storm could make 'Fire completely worthwhile. I guess I'll find out this fall.(less)

like · see review

Oct 27, 2012 Zoltán Gecse rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've got high expectations about this book. The Cassastar's sequel was great as I wanted to before read. If you liked the first book of the author you'll love this one too. If you didn't read the first book of his, then go and read it! Are you still there? OK, you can read the Cassafire without any knowledge from the Cassafire.

Alex J. Cavanaugh introduced a new face of his pilot-hero, Byron. We met him after 20 years the events of Cassastar, and everything looks like nothing important happend th...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 08, 2013 Christine Rains rated it 5 of 5 stars

War hero and star pilot Byron is keeping his word to his former mentor. It's boring on the exploration ship, but at least he's content. Alien ruins are found on the planet of Tgren, and Byron's people are working to decode them. They form an alliance with the Tgren people, but it's shaky at best, especially with the fact some of the Tgrens are developing mental powers. The Cassans are helping them learn about their new abilities, but one young woman's powers may even rival Byron's. He's assigned...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 21, 2012 Lynda R. Young rated it 5 of 5 stars

CassaFire is set 20 years after the events of Alex J Cavanaugh’s first book, CassaStar. Essentially this is a story about friendships and healing as Byron slowly learns to open himself up to others after a terrible hurt. Oh, and it’s set in a world with space travel, fighter pilots, exploration ships and mental abilities that include telepathy among other things.

I immediately fell in love with Byron’s passion for flying and his mischievous nature born from a pilot skilled at what he does. The ot...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 10, 2012 Donna Weaver rated it 4 of 5 stars

Book Description:
The Vindicarn War is a distant memory and Byron’s days of piloting Cosbolt fighters are over. He has kept the promise he made to his fallen mentor and friend - to probe space on an exploration vessel. Shuttle work is dull, but it’s a free and solitary existence. The senior officer is content with his life aboard the Rennather. The detection of alien ruins sends the exploration ship to the distant planet of Tgren. If their scientists can decipher the language, they can unlock the...more Book Description:
The Vindicarn War is a distant memory and Byron’s days of piloting Cosbolt fighters are over. He has kept the promise he made to his fallen mentor and friend - to probe space on an exploration vessel. Shuttle work is dull, but it’s a free and solitary existence. The senior officer is content with his life aboard the Rennather. The detection of alien ruins sends the exploration ship to the distant planet of Tgren. If their scientists can decipher the language, they can unlock the secrets of this device. Is it a key to the Tgren’s civilization or a weapon of unimaginable power? Tensions mount as their new allies are suspicious of the Cassan’s technology and strange mental abilities. To complicate matters, the Tgrens are showing signs of mental powers themselves; the strongest of which belongs to a pilot named Athee, a woman whose skills rival Byron’s unique abilities. Forced to train her mind and further develop her flying aptitude, he finds his patience strained. Add a reluctant friendship with a young scientist, and he feels invaded on every level. All Byron wanted was his privacy…

What did we think?

I read this book aloud to hubby, as I did Alex's first book CassaStaR, which we both very much enjoyed. It was fun as I'd be reading it aloud when hubby would laugh out loud, or the first comment from his mouth when he woke up was a question about the story.

We wondered how the tale would work out because the main character Byron is a very private man, living in a controlled way that keeps him distant from most meaningful connections with other people. Even from the first book I've wondered what happened to him in his youth that make it so difficult for him to trust people with his private thoughts--because the Cassan people are telepathic.

I love the way Alex wrote Athee, the young, energetic, and not-to-be-held-back Tgren woman whom Byron discovers is also telepathic. Her vibrant personality just showed through the dialogue and descriptions. It was a delight to see Byron falling for her even as he fought it.

We really enjoyed this book.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 31, 2012 Rusty rated it 5 of 5 stars

Well, I 'oopsied' a whole book. I knew I would be busy this week and didn't intend to read anything. I picked it up to make room for something else on my shelves and before I knew it I was writing this review after finishing it. You don't power through a book like that if you aren't excited about it.

This is a novel set 20 years after the events of CassaStar and involves the discovery of some ancient, advanced technology, deep underground in a backwater planet called Tgren. The creators of this t...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 20, 2012 Randy rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Vindicarn War was twenty years in Byron's past, chronicled in CassaStar. He'd kept the promise to his late friend and navigator Bassa to explore space. The vessel Rennather had been his home for a long time now, Byron flying one of their shuttles. A private man, he'd made no close friends in a long time.

That was about to change.

The Rennather was headed for the planet Tgren where ruins of an advanced civilization had been found. The inhabitants were not native, the ruins of the ship that brou...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 28, 2012 Charity Bradford rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy, sets-and-sequels

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Alex did a great job with the second book in the series. In fact, I still haven't read the first one (but I will now for sure). He did a great job in giving just enough pertinent information that I never felt lost even though I started in the middle of the story.

Byron and Athee were both likeable characters and I found myself rooting for both of them. The tech was great! I loved the idea of telejumping ships for the mode of space travel. That may indeed end up th...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 02, 2012 Tyrean rated it 5 of 5 stars

CassaFire by Alex J. Cavanaugh engages the reader from the first page, and doesn’t set down for landing until the very last pages. The second book in a (hoped for) trilogy about Byron, this book takes us further into Byron’s inner character. Even though he learned something about true brotherly friendship from Bassa in the first book, CassaStar, Byron has walled himself off from relationships again as he explores new planets and regions of space. He’s bored with his job, since it doesn’t allow h...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 12, 2013 Jill Freuden rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was quite surprised that the second book takes place 20 years later. It works. Byron has seen much of life and that suits the story. Is it bad that I was a tiny bit jealous of the only female character in two books? I was liking the testosterone fix; but I like the strong woman that Alex created as well. My new favorite character is the young scientist, Mevine, I love earnest smart types! It's a great read; the type of book that keeps me from doing what I should. I'm disappointed and relieved...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 11, 2013 Jay rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am one of the folks that enjoyed CassaFire more than the original, CassaStar. I feel that we learn even more about the protagonist, Byron. I'm a big fan of science fiction and "space opera," and CassaFire is sci-fi done right.

It's got everything a fan like me wants: action, adventure, a little romance, and very little stumbling blocks to get in the way of the story. CassaFire also has a deeper layer at play, and it's an important theme that started in the first book and continues in this secon...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 25, 2012 Per Gunnar rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

This book in the "Cassa" series is another quite good book. It's well written and captures your interest.

I'm as suprised with this one as with the previous book that I liked it so much since it's very much focused on the characters and perhaps not so much on the actual "hardware". I wouldn't even call this one "military" sci-fi, which is my main interest, since it was not very much real military action in it.

Still I liked it very much and am looking forward to the next one.

1 like · like · see review

Apr 07, 2012 Shane rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a great follow up to the first book. In terms of readability, it has much better flow.

Hope we hear more from Athee and Byron soon!

1 like · like · see review

Mar 31, 2013 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars

Really good read. The climax was very fast paced.

1 like · like · see review

Feb 27, 2013 Sydney Aaliyah rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. Where the first Cassa story was good, this one is great. It had all the good stuff of the first book with a romance added and it just made the book.
Plus, the growth and development of the lead character Byron further invested me in this story.
I can't wait for the third release in September.

1 like · like · see review

Nov 22, 2012 Regina added it

loved it

like · see review

Mar 13, 2012 Jemi Fraser rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved it! A great sci-fi adventure letting us really get to know Byron. I really enjoyed the addition of the Tgren society and Athee in particular. Mevine is another great character. The plot is intriguing and the ending very satisfying. Great book! :)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 08, 2012 Charles McGonigal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Both of Cavanaugh's books have had the same impact on me - I feel like I'm detached as I'm reading, but I can't put it down, and tear through them. They're comfort food, but they're delicious and I'm really looking forward to the third.

1 like · like · see review

Aug 27, 2012 Tyson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, scifi-fantasy

Review here.

1 like · like · see review

May 01, 2013 Joshua marked it as to-read

Apr 30, 2013 Mathew rated it 3 of 5 stars

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

Videos About This Book

1 comment

Genres

Science Fiction

3 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

2 users

See top shelves...

About Alex J. Cavanaugh

I'm a science fiction writer on a journey of discovery...
Online I am known as Captain Ninja Alex! I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and work in web design and graphics. I minored in music and play several instruments, including guitar. I'm experienced in technical editing and worked with an adult literacy program for several years. A fan of all things science fiction, my interests range from b...more

More about Alex J. Cavanaugh...

Books by Alex J. Cavanaugh

Indiestructible: Inspiring Stories from the Publishing Jungle

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Cassafire

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Cassafire
avg rating	preview: Cassafire Goodreads rating: 4.48 (71 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12816817-cassafire?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1319305899l/12816817.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12816817-cassafire?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Cassafire by Alex J. Cavanaugh[/url]

Cassafire

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

Videos About This Book

Genres

About Alex J. Cavanaugh

Books by Alex J. Cavanaugh

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Cassafire

new topic
Discuss This Book